Automatic lighter for gas ranges



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Henry W. ODowd, Jersey City, N. 3., assignor to. StandardGas EquipmentCorporation, a corporation of Maryland .Application July 6, 1929.SerialNo. 376,476

18 Claims. (cl. 158 -115) The foregoing and other objects, features, and

This invention relates to igniting devices for gas ranges, and refersparticularly to automatic lighting means whereby'ignition of the heatingburners will be eifected automatically upon supplying gas thereto. v

Most of the commercially available gas ranges have been equipped withpilot lights of the flash type, which, by depression of a button,projects flame jets to the several heating burners to ignite the samewhen gas is supplied to them. It frequently happens, however, that a gascock controlling fiow of gas tonne of the burners is accidentallyopened, and that the burner is not lighted because the pilot light isnot flashed. Under such conditions, the gas will escape unburned,

endangering life and property. Furthermore, it

sometimes happens that a heating burner will he accidentallyextinguished, as by a vessel boiling over, without being noticed, givingrise to the same hazard as above mentioned.

These objectionable features of the prior art are overcome by thepresent invention, which has forone of its principal objects, theprovision of a simple, economically produced equipment which may beapplied to any standard gas range, whereby escaping gas will beimmediatelylighted at theburner. While, in this sense, theinvention isvaluable because of the safety which it promotes, it is furtherdesirable because it facilitates the use of the range, as willhereinafter appear.

More specifically, the invention contemplates the use of a plurality oftubular members which are loosely supported by the heating burners ofthe gas range, and which are adapted to receive gasfrom the respectiveburners and to conduct it to a substantially central opening. Disposedbelow this central opening, is a constantly burning, unenclosed pilotlight which serves to ignite any gas coming through said tubularmembers,

and the flame so produced in atube is carried back to the burner fromwhich the gas issues, resulting in the automatic lighting of burner.

In addition to lighting the top burners of a range, the apparatus isadapted similarly to ignite an oven burner by means of another tubewhich is preferably formed separately from those for. the top burners.

The gas conducting tubes are slightly inclined upwardly toward thecentral ignition opening in order to render the device more rapid inoperation, and they are readily removable independently of the pilotlight to facilitate cleaning, inspection, or repair.

end of the oven tube;

said

advantages will be'readily understood from the following description inconnection with the accompanying drawings, wherein several illustrativeembodiments of the invention have been shown.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary top plan view, partlyin section, of a gas rangeequipped with an automatic lighter in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view'of the gas collecting and conducting tubesper se;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a similar view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view, on an enlarged scale,through the pilot light per se;

Fig. 6 is a top plan view thereof; 4

Fig. '7 is a detail perspective view of the inner Fig. 8 is a plan viewof a modified form of the invention;

Fig. 9 is a similar view of stillv another modification;

Fig. 10 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view taken on line 101ll ofFig. 9;

Fig. 11 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on line l111 ofFig. 9;

Fig. 12' is a fragmentary top plan view of another form of theinvention;

Fig. 13 is a vertical transverse sectional view on line 13l3 of Fig. 12;

Hg; 14 is a horizontal sectional view on line li-ll of Fig. 13; I 4

- Fig. 15 is a detail perspective view of the cen-. tral cage orpartitioning member of Figs. 12, 13, and 14;

Fig. 16is a top plan view of still another form of the invention;

Fig. 17 is a sectional perspective view substantially on line 17-47 ofFig.16, with the oven lighting tube omitted; and

Fig. 18 is a vertical transverse sectional view on line 18.18 of Fig.16.

The invention has been shown as applied to a gas range of the cabinettype which has an open top 1 and an oven 2 disposed side by side. Theopen top 1 is provided with a plurality of symmetrically arrangedheatingburners 3, l, 5, and 6, to which gas is supplied in the usualmanner from a manifold 7 under the control of manually operable cocks 8.These top burners 3, i, 5, and 6 have been shown as of the star type,which,

as their name implies, comprise radial portions 12 9, the upper surfacesof which are formed with series of flame ports 10. The oven 2is'provided with a burner 11, of substantially rectangular outline,which is also supplied with gas from the manifold '7. One side of theoven burner 11 is formed with a tubular lighting extension 12 whichextends to a suitable opening in the side wall 13 of the oven, wherebythe oven burner may be lighted from the outside, without necessitatingthe opening of the oven door 14.

Extending between and supported by the open top burners .3, 4, 5, and 6is a gas collecting and flame conducting unit 16, best shown in. detailin Fig. 2. This unit comprises a plurality of radially related,open-ended tubular portions 1'7, 18, 19, and 20, which are connectedtogether adjacent their inner ends by integral webs 21. The inner endsof the tubular portions are slightly spaced from each other to provide acentral space or opening 22, wherein ignition will take place. The outerends of the tubular portions are flared and bifurcated to provideeachwith a pair of fingers 23, adapted to engage opposite sides of oneof the-radial portions 9 of the corresponding top burner. These fingers23 are tapered slightly up- Ward to correspond with the form of theengaged burner portions, and by virtue of this. arrangement it will beevident that the unit 16 ,will be accurately located and well supportedby the burners without the need of any fastening elements.

As shown in Fig. 3, the end walls of the burner portions 9, to which thetubular members are connected, are each provided with orifices 24through which gas is directed into the corresponding tubes. Preferably,the tubular members 17 to 20 are inclined upwardly from their outer endstoward their inner ends, so that the gas, which is lighter than air,will pass rapidly from the orifices 24 to the central opening 22.

A constantly burning pilot light 26, arranged below the central opening22, serves to ignite any unburned gas which reaches said opening. Thispilot light is entirely separate from the unit 16, being secured to theinner end of a gas supply tube 27, which runs rearwardly from themanifold '7, and is unenclosed at all times. A small supply of gas ismaintained in the tube 27-, such supply being capable of regulationthrough the medium of a needle valve or set.

screw 28. Any specific form of burner may be used in the pilot light,that shown in the drawings (see Figs. 5 and 6) comprising a small tube29 screwed to the end of the tube 2'7, and a cuplike tip 30 mounted inthe upper end of said mixing tube. The gas from the tube 2'7 will passupwardly through the restricted throat .31 and into the cup-like tip,the bottom of which is provided with a plurality of apertures 32 throughwhich air is supplied to support combustion. The gas and air readily mixand burn with a flame which extends above the tip 30 to the lowerportion of the central opening 22, and the base of said flame is amplyprotected'by the cylindrical skirt portion 33 of said tip 30. ExperienceI has shown that when the base of the flame is protected as in thiscase, there is very little likelihood of accidental extinguishment fromdraughts of air. As a result, the pilot light needs no completeenclosure as has been customary in the past, and this not only givesbetter combustion and avoids danger of extinguishment of the pilotflame, but it leaves the light visible at all times.

From the foregoing, it will be evident that when any one of the gascocks 8 is turned to its on position, gas will flow to and through thecorresponding burner 13, 4, 5, or 6, as the case may be. The gas whichescapes through the orifice 24 will be collected by the correspondingtubular member 17, 18, 19, or 20 and will flow inwardly and upwardly tothe central opening 22. Upon reaching the central opening 22, the gaswill come in contact with the open flame of the pilot light 26, and willbe ignited immediately, and the resultant flame will flash back or beconductedthrough the tube to the main burner from which the gas isescaping. This back-flash will light the gas issuing from the orifice 24as well as from the flame ports 10. Similarly, if a lighted burnershould be accidentally extinguished by any cause, it will be instantlyrelighted from the pilot light 26.

In order to provide for the automatic lighting of the oven burner 11, aseparate tube 35 is employed as shown in Figs. 1 and 4. One end of thetube 35 is flared and bifurcated to provide fingers 36, like the fingers23, which detachably engage the extremity of the oven burner lightingextension 12 in the oven wall 13. The other end of the tube 35 isadapted to rest in a depression or socket 3'7 in.the web 21 between, thetubes 18 and 19. This same end of the tube 35 carries a substantiallycircular plate 38 which extends over and is spaced slightly above thecentral opening 22 in the lighting unit 16, for the purpose of shieldingthe pilot light from dripping vessels on top of the range. Also a pairof laterally extending fins 39 and 40 are secured to the tube 35 to restupon the adjacent tubes 18 and 19 to prevent rotation of the tube 35.These fins 39 and 40 may conveniently be formed} integral with thecircular plate .38 and may be welded to the tube 35.

As gas is supplied'to the oven burner 11, some of it will pass throughan orifice 41 in the end wall of the lighting extension 12, and thenceupwardly through the tube 35 to the opening 22, where it will be ignitedby contact with the flame of the pilot light. A resultant flame willflash back through the tube 35 to light the oven burner 11.

In some cases, the oven lighting tube 35 might not be desired. If so itcan easily be dispensed with by virtue of the fact that it is entirelyseparate from the unit 16. The plate 38 may then be replaced by anotherwhich may be clipped to one of the tubes of the unit 16, or otherwisesupported in any suitable manner. While said plate acts as a shield forthe top of the pilot light, it allows ample ventilation for the escapeof products of combustion.

A simmering burner 45, of usual form, is shown in the drawings as beingarranged close to the center of the lighting unit 16. This simmeringburner may easily be ignited automatically by virtue of its proximity tothe open space between the inner ends of the tubular members 17 and 20.a

'In the above described embodiment of the gas collecting and flameconducting unit 16, the tubular portions 17, 18, 19, and 20, and thewebs 21 are integrally formed as a casting. In this respect, theinvention is susceptible of modification as shown, for example, in Fig.8. Here the unit 46 is composed of separate tubular members4'7, 48, 49,and 50 whose inner endsv are mounted in socket portions 51 of a centralconnector 52. The inner ends of said tubular members may be held in saidsocket portions 51 by a forced fit, or they may be screwed in or brazed,as desired.

Another modification is shown-in Figs. 9 to '11 inclusive, where tubularmembers 57, 58, 59, and are integrally cast with a short, substantially57, 58, 59, and 60. One end of the body 61 is formed with a curved shelf65 for supporting the end of the oven lighting tube 35, while the otherend oisaid body 61 has a semi-circular wall 66 above which gas from thesimmering burner 45 willbe ignited.

In Figs. 12 to 15, inclusive, another modification is illustrated,wherein the gas conducting tubes 67, 68, 69, and 70 meet in a hollowcentral body 71, the upper and lower walls of which are formed withsubstantially square openings 72, for the reception of a removable cage78. r This cage 73 comprises a top disc 74, which is larger than theopenings 72, having a plurality of fins or baflles 75 and 76 extendingdownwardly. The

top disc 74 may be provided with a plurality of notches 82 which extendradially inward beyond the side edges of the upper opening 72.

Still another, and probably the most preferred embodiment of theinvention is illustrated in Figs. 16 to 18 inclusive. In this form, thelighting tubes 87, 88, 89 and 90 are not radially related as in theother embodiments, but instead, they are arranged in pairs, thetubes ofeach pair defining an obtuse angle between them. For example, the tubes87 and 88 diverge from each other in a'forward direction and areconnected together by a rearwardly extending deflector 91, at opposite.sides of which the inner ends of the tubes are open. Similarly, thetubes 89 and 90 diverge in a rearward direction and areconnectedtogether by a forwardly extending deflector 92 between their open innerends. These deflectors 91 and 92 are spaced slightly from each other,

and in use they are disposed above the constantly burning pilot light.Connecting webs or ribs 93 and 94 serve to unite the tubes 87 and 88with the tubes 90 and 89 respectively, and are preferably curved asshown whereby to form supports for the inner end of the oven lightingtube 35.. The

outer ends of the divergent lighting tubes are bent as at 95, 96, 97,and 98 in such a manner as ice to extend in a fore-and-aft direction,and are,

provided with fingers or the like which engage the rearwardly extendingportions 9 .of the front burners- 3 and 4, and the forwardly extendingbaflles 75 and 76'inte1sect each other at rig fl sportions 9 or the rearburners 5 and 6. In other angles as best shown in Figs. 14 and 15,making a cruciform partition for the interior of the central body 71,and they are so proportioned that their longitudinal edges fit into thecomers of the square openings 72 whereby to be definitely located andheld against rotation. Thus direct communication between the tubes 67 to70 inclusive is cut off. i

The bailie 75 is, considerably longer than the baiile 76, extending asubstantial distance below the bottom of the body 71, andisprovided inits lower end with a slot or opening 77, the material at the oppositesides of which is tied together by a small horizontal plate 78 having acentral opening 79. The end of a pilot light 80 is adapted to bereceived in said opening 79, as shown in Fig. 18, and thus the pilotlight burns below the central intersecting portions of the bafiles 75and 76. The heat of the flame reaches into the four compartments intowhich the central body 71 is divided by the baffles, and as gas from anyone of the tubes 67, '68, 69, or 70 enters the correspondingcompartment, it will immediately bev ignited. By reason of the fact thatthe several tubes are cut off from direct communication with each other,the flame of the ignited gas will be carried back" to the burner fromwhich the gas is issuing, more rapidly than wouldbe the case if disc 74of the cage slightly above the body 71.

This arrangement provides space through which the products of combustionmay escape. To further facilitate the escape of burned gases, the

words, the bent-ends of the tubes are all parallel with each other, anarrangement which is particularly desirableinasmuch as it allows forslight variations in the lengths of the-burner tubes. Furthermore, thisarrangement allows the burner 3, which is larger than the burners 4, 5,and 6, to be placed either at the front of the range as shown, orv atthe back in place of the burner 5.

With the latter disposition of the burners, the

, A cover plate 99 is disposed over the center of the lighting tube unitto shield the pilot light iromdripping pans on top of the range, saidcover plate having formed at its opposite ends de- I pending ribs 100which have their 'corners notched as at 101 (Fig. 17) to seat upon therespective tubes 87, 88, 89, and 90. Intermediate their ends these ribs100 have notches 102 which, in opposition to the curved webs93, 94,serve to clamp the oven lighting tube 35 in position. The cover plate 99is held in place by a screw-193, the lower threaded end of which entersa tapped hole in oradjacent to the inner end of the tube 89.

The several illustrated and described forms of the invention operate inthe same way, and are alike in their method of mounting. The tubularmembers are loosely suppo on the burners without requiring anyspecialfastening means, and are entirely independent of the pilot lightmounting. Hence, removal of the parts for cleaning, etc., can be veryeasily accomplished. Furthermore, the construction of the parts is sosimple as to lend itself to economy in production,

and durability in service.

Obviously, the invention is susceptible of further modifications in thedetails of construction and arrangement of parts, and the right isherein reserved to make such changes as wall within the scope of theappended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a gas range, the combination with a plurality of heating burners,of automatic lighting means comprising integrally formed inflexibletubular gas conductors loosely supported by said burners, with theirends adapted to collect gas from side portions thereof withoutinterfering with the heating efliciency of the burners and to conductthe collected gas to an intermediate ignition opening, said tubular gasconductors being slightly inclined upwardly from the burners to saidignition opening, and a constantly burning unenclosed pilot lightdisposed below said ignition opening and mounted independently of saidgas conductors.

2. In a gas range having a series of heating burners,automatic lightingmeans comprising a constantly burning unenclosed pilot light disposedbetween the heating burners and supplied with gas independently thereof,a plurality of inflexible tubular gas conductors connected together as aunit with their inner ends communicating with a. central opening abovethe pilot light, and with their outer ends provided with fingers forloosely resting upon the respective burners, said gas conductors beingslightly inclined upwardly from their outer ends to said centralopening, and the heating burners having ports for directing gaslaterally into the respective conduits, and a detachable plate spacedslightly above said central opening to protect the pilot light frombeing extinguished by dripping vessels on the range.

3. In agas range having an oven bm'ner and a series of symmetricallydisposed top burners outside the oven, automatic lighting meanscomprising a constantly burning pilot light, a plurality of tubular gasconductors loosely supported by said top burners with their endsadaptedto collect gas therefrom and to conduct it to a substantiallycentral opening over said pilot light, an additional gas conducting tubeextending from said central opening to the oven burner, said additionalgas conducting tube being loosely supported at oneend by the first-namedgas conductors, and means carried by said additional gas conducting tubeto shield the pilot light.

4. In an automatic lighter for gas ranges, a gas collecting and flameconducting unit comprising a plurality of open-ended tubular portionsangularly disposed with reference to each other and having their innerends in spaced apart relation to provide a central opening, webs forconnecting the tubular portions together, one of the webs having adepression for loosely supporting an oven burner lighting tube, andmeans on the outer ends of said tubular portions for detachably engagingthe burners of a range to support the flame conducting unit.

5. In an automatic lighter for gas ranges, a gas collecting and flameconducting unit comprising a plurality of open-ended tubular portionsangularly disposed with reference to each other and integrally formedwith their innerends in spaced apart relation to provide an unenclosedcentral opening, and means on the outer ends of said tubular portionsfor loosely and detachably engaging side portions of the burners of arange to support the unit, the tubular portions being slightly inclinedupwardly from their outer ends to said central opening, said unit beingfurther characterized by connecting webs between the tubular portionsadjacent to their inner ends, one

of said webs having a depression to provide support for an oven burnerlighting tube.

6. In a gas range having a series of top burners and an oven burner,automatic lighting means comprising a gas collecting and flameconducting unit formed of a plurality of openanded tubular portionsangularly disposed with reference to each other and integrally formedwith their inner ends in spaced apart relation to provide asubstantially central opening, fingers on the outer ends of saidtubularportions for detachably engaging the top burners of the range, aconstantly burning, unenclosed pilot light independently supported'belowsaid central opening, a' gas conducting tube extending from said centralopening to an extension of said oven burner, and a plate carried by saidtube for overlying the central opening to protect the pilot light frombeing extinguished by dripping vessels on top of the range.

'7. In an automatic lighter for gas ranges, a gas collecting and flameconducting unit comprising a pair of open-ended tubular portionsangularly disposed with reference to each other, said tubular portionshaving their outer ends adapted for connection with different burners ofthe range, and having their inner ends adjacent to and substantiallyfacing each other, and a gas deflecting wall disposed between saidfacing inner ends, to prevent direct communication between said openended tubular portions on the line of their axes.

8. In an automatic lighter for gas ranges, a gas collecting and flameconducting unit comprising a pair of open-ended tubular portionsangularly disposed with reference to each other, said tubular portionshaving their outer ends substantially parallel with each'other andadapted to engage with and to rest upon-different burners of the range.

9. In an automatic lighter for gas ranges, a gas collecting and flameconducting unit comprising a plurality of open-ended tubular portionsangularly disposed with reference to each other and having their innerends substantially facing each other in spaced apart relation to providea central opening, and the outer ends of the tubular portions beingsubstantially parallel with each other and adapted for detachablyengaging the burners of the range.

10. In an automatic lighter for gas ranges, a gas collecting and flameconducting unit comprising a plurality of open-ended tubular portionsangularly disposed with reference to each other and having their innerends substantially facing each other in spaced apart relation to providea central opening, and the outer ends of the tubular portions beingsubstantially parallel with each other and adapted for detachablyengaging the burners of the range, and substantially vertical deflectingmeans disposed in said central opening to prevent direct communicationbetween the facing inner ends of the tubular portions. 11. In anautomatic lighter for gas ranges, a gas collecting and flame conductingunit comprising a plurality of open-ended tubular portions angularlydisposed with reference to each other and integrally formed with theirinner ends substantially facing each other in pairs in a centralopening, deflecting walls arranged between the ends of the facing pairsto prevent direct communication between them, the outer ends of thetubular portions being bent and adapted for detachably engaging theburners of the range to support the unit, and a detachable cover plateoverlying the central opening.

12. In a gas range, the combination with a plurality of heating burners,of automatic lighting means comprising a constantly burning pilot lightsupplied with gas independently of the heating burners, and a gascollecting and flame conducting unit comprising a plurality ofopen-ended tubular portions angularly disposed with reference to eachother and having their inner ends substantially facing each other in acentral opening over the pilot light, the outer ends of the tubularportions being substantially parallel with each other and provided withfingers for detachably engaging the heating burners, deflecting meansWithin said central opening and between the facing inner ends of thetubular portions, and a cover plate overlying said central opening.

13. In an automatic lighter for gas ranges, a gas collecting and flameconducting unit comprising a plurality of open-ended tubular portionsangularly disposed with reference to each other and having their innerends substantially facing each other in spaced apart relation at acentral opening, said tubular portions being further characterized bythe fact that they are bent intermediate their ends, and their outerends being substantially parallel with each other and adapted fordetachably engaging the burners of the range.

14. In an automatic lighter for gas ranges, a gas collecting and flameconducting unit comprising a plurality of open-ended tubular portionsangularly disposed with reference to each other and having their innerends substantially facing each other in spaced apart relation at acentral opening, the outerends of said tubular portions being flared toenlarged diameters to facilitate collection of gas, and said outer endsbeing substantially parallel with each other and adapted for detachablyengaging the burners of the range.

15. In an automatic lighter for gas ranges, a gas collecting and flameconducting unit comprising a plurality of open-ended tubular portionsangularly disposed with reference to each other and having their innerends substantially facing each other in spaced apart relations at acentral opening, the outer ends of said tubular portions being flared toenlarged diameters to facilitate collection of gas, and a removable cagemember disposed in said central opening, said cage member havingdeflecting wall portions to prevent direct communication between thefacing inner ends of the tubular portions, and a cover plate overlyingthe central opening.

16. In a gas range, the combination with a plurality of heating burners,of automatic lighting means comprising a constantly burning pilot lightsupplied with gas independently of the heating burners, and a gascollecting and flame conducting unit comprising a plurality of openended tubular portions angularly disposed with reference to each otherand having their inner ends substantially facing each other in a centralopening over the pilot light, deflecting means arranged within saidcentral opening and extending entirely across the facing inner ends ofthe tubular portions to prevent direct communication between them, and acover plate overlying said central opening.

17. In a gas range, the combination with a plurality of heating burners,of automatic lighting means comprising a constantly burning pilot lightsupplied with gas independently of the heating burners, and a gascollecting and flame conducting unit comprising a plurality of openended tubular portions angularly disposed with reference to each otherand having their inner ends substantially facing each other in a centralopening over the pilot light, and a removable cage member disposed insaid central opening, said cage member comprising substantially verticaldeflecting wall portions to prevent direct communication between thefacing inner ends ofthe tubular portions, and an overlying cover plateso arranged as to shield the pilot light yet permitting escape ofproducts of combustion from beneath it.

18. In combination with an automatic lighter unit having a plurality oftubular arms diverging from a central opening, a removable combustioncage disposed in said central opening, and comprising vertical wallportions to prevent direct HENRY W. ODOWD.

